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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 5013852" data-attributes="member: 143">Interlude: Base Operations (June 16, 2008)The lights dimmed as the projector warmed up, casting a crystal-clear image against the far wall. "As you can see, the alien navigational systems function with a speed and efficiency beyond any human-made computer," Doctor Okwelume said.  His crisp Oxford accent accompanied the images, as he went on to describe the details of the research findings on the alien machines. "As you can see," he said, bringing up a new image of a schematic diagram, "Once we complete our research into the alien shipboard systems, we believe that we can construct a flying craft more advanced than anything else in Earth's arsenal.  With work complete on the alien alloys and navigation systems, we need only complete our work on their power systems to proceed." "And their fuel source," a voice chimed in out of the darkness.  Those present didn’t need to see Agent Drake's face to know that she had a sour look on her face.  "You aren't going to get very far without power." "Of course," Doctor Okwelume conceded.  "The fuel source is key, both to the ships, and to the alien weapons.  That is the end of my prepared comments.  I look forward to seeing the new priorities set by the Board." After the lights came back on and the scientist departed, Director-Liaison Garret pulled the members of Alpha Team aside for a moment.  "I just wanted to let you know, we have two interceptors stationed now at Dijon-Longvic Airbase in central France.  They should give us at least partial coverage of European airspace.  We've already broken ground on X-COM Base 2.  Some of the techies are calling it the ‘Maginot Hole’; not sure we want to let that catch on, given the history." He looked at the wall, although the projected image had long since faded.  "You've done well, all of you, under difficult circumstances.  We're in a race, and we don't even know the course, or where the finish line is.” He paused and touched his ear, where the small bulb of a communications device was just visible.  "I'll be right there,” he said.  “Excuse me," he said to Alpha and departed, in something of a rush.“What was that all about?” Jane asked. Catalina shrugged.  “So, Buzz, what’s this about a poker game tonight?”* * * * * Interlude: Poker (June 14, 2008)OOC: Thought I’d post the game in its entirety, as the players initially posted it to the game forum. -LBVK10 o'clock came around. In what might be a surprise to some, Vasily marched past the barracks and through the East Wing door into the rec room at almost precisely the stroke of the hour, moving up and taking a chair with nothing more than a nod to those already there. "Ten credit ante, go up ten credits every twenty minutes, yes?"CDTen past ten, timed precisely for when the deck had been shuffled, the dealer had the first card in their hand, and was just about to send it across the table, Catalina walked into the room, glided elegantly across the floor, and slid gracefully into a chair at the table. Catalina winked at Buzz, and palm upright she beckoned with her fingers to the dealer. "Deal me in." JAJim looked over his cards.  "Back in my residency days, we used to play this when the ER was slow.  Hope you guys know what you are doing, 'cause if not, I'll be walking out with your cash." Jim grinned as he upped the ante.  This was more fun than getting shot at by aliens, and certainly more fun than arguing over when to build the new medical lab.  He'd been working hard in the existing lab to build more of those med-kits; without better armor, they'd be sure to need all the kits he and Stan and the technicians could make, next time they ran into some snakemen.  While he agreed that more manufacturing capacity was the right way to go now, he hadn't yet convinced the others that the next step was the new medical lab and improved armor for all of them. Maybe they'd listen better once he took all their money... JSPlaying cards certainly lightened the mood some.  Hopefully, it might even lighten the others of a few bucks.  So far, everyone seemed to be holding their own. Jane tossed in her matching bet and called.  Vasily won that round.  Next round Catalina, James and Vasily faced off at eighty over three jacks, a straight and two jacks, with James taking the pot.  Buzz took the next round with Jane and Catalina each tossing in about 90.  Buzz had a full house, fives over twos.  It went back and forth for quite awhile, everyone was fairly evenly matched for the first couple hours, breaking even more or less. There were periods of time where there was no cross-traffic from others and everyone was free to talk freely, as free as one could feel at X-COM.CDOkay, a few hands in, everything fairly even, so now it was time have some serious fun.  Next hand up with a two pair, ten high.  Looking at her cards she set a deliberate smile to her lips and looked up to face all of them across the table.  Doc A looked pretty uneasy already, obviously not a good hand.  Leave him a while. Vasily looked his same stoic self, determination creasing his brow.  Jane and Buzz maintained the traditional poker face. Round the table the bets went a couple of times she pursed her lips a little and smiled at her cards, as she pushed her credits forward.  Catalina cast a glance around the table.  "You know what this table needs?" she asked, to the air.  "Some pretzels and beer.  That is how you Americans do it, right?"  There was a few moments' pause before Jane folded and stood up, announcing that she would fetch snacks and be back for the next hand.  Nice, so very, very nice. Around and around they went again.  James folded but Buzz sat across from her looking quietly confident as he placed a bet.  Time for something... less subtle, Catalina thought, as she kicked off her shoe, stretched out her leg, and ran her toes carefully up and down Buzz's calf.  "Oh my, she exclaimed!" she chuckled as the man twitched and dropped his cards, and Jane wandered back in bearing snacks and looking curious.  Cat gave the other woman a grateful wink as she sat down, with Buzz still fumbling to gather up his now-visible flush.  Ha, easy.Doc Allen was looking increasingly twitchy, but Vas sat with the permanently angry expression still in place.  Damn, what to do there? What could you do against a man who would probably stoically ignore toes tickling his groin for the sake of the Mother Land?BOCat had drastically changed Buzz's luck in the game.  He didn't know whether to keep his legs crossed, widen them and suggest playing for something other than credits.  In any case he had lost all his credits by the end of the next four hands and became merely a spectator.  Bad luck but good timing. It was about midnight and the minor sensor dampening program he had initiated should give them the privacy he needed, and, he hoped, would not be noticed for anything other than a glitch in the system.  One never knew with security breaches, but he had already decided it was worth the risk. He watched one more hand and then leaned forward, lowering his voice a bit.  "Listen gang, I found something you all ought to know about."  He waited until he thought they all were listening.  "Someone has been messin' with the X-Com network, accessing files and such, probably the same person that accessed the HWP AI and inserted the new subroutine and made it go all haywire."  He looked around the table, noticing they had stopped playing.  "You gonna raise or call Vas?"  They took the hint and got back to the game. He continued as they played.  "Whomever it is they are really good, they covered their tracks quite well.  They accessed the HWP AI under the login of Doctor Sandesh from the terminal in Alien Containment.  Could be him but I doubt it.  Number one, the only ones with personal access to this lab are Doctor White, Doctor Wagner, and Base Commander Hallorand.  Number two, Doctor Sandish would have to be smart enough to cover his trail but not smart enough to use someone else's terminal login." The game went on, but it was clear that the attention of the others was no longer on the cards.  He fiddled with his xPhone and continued, "One thing might have come to our advantage.  Whomever has been messing with the network has been downloading files on the research going on here; medical, ships, and alien stuff.  But they are loading it to a personal data storage device.  I don't know about you guys but they almost did an anal probe on me to make sure I did not have anything like that when I got here.  Find someone with a device like that and it's a good chance that we find..." He left the thought hanging.</blockquote>

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